FCA
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles invites us to look round its extraordinary workshop
Not every car manufacturer has its own heritage fleet or workshop, so those car makers that do – especially those based in the UK – are always a treat for us lot at PC. They’re usually staffed by excitable fellow enthusiasts with a particular love of the marque in question. The team that runs the press garage of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is no exception.
It’s located in the gargantuan grey-coloured maze that is the Slough Trading Estate, Berkshire’s legendary 100-year-old business park with its 600 buildings and 400 tenants – a powerhouse of engineering and commerce. Among it all, we find Darren James – FCA’S designated Quality Champion – at the press workshop, where he began working more than a decade ago. It is a Saturday morning and he’s twiddling with a Twenties Fiat 501 – the firm’s first model produced after WWI. It is a long-term restoration project, among numerous others in the workshop. ‘From Fiat to Alfa, Lancia, Jeep and Chrysler, we view nothing as unfixable. We’re all about proving the brilliance of these cars and celebrating the heritage of some truly historic brands.’ Joining Darren is a group of experienced technicians with a wealth of experience. ‘Phil Thomas has vast knowledge of Fiats past and present, Nick Fenn knows his Jeeps and Chryslers inside-out and Chris Clubley just has all avenues covered. They are a great bunch – fun to work with and totally devoted to the cars.’
There’s no questioning Darren’s own dedication, either. He lives and breathes the Italian cars for good reason – in 1992, after leaving school, he and his dad took a trip down to the local Fiat dealer in order to buy a part for the trusty family Uno. ‘I saw a job advertisement for the role of administrator. I ended up getting it and since then, I’ve been Sales executive, Service manager, Parts administrator, Fleet administrator and more’.
Darren has owned his Fiat Barchetta for a year and there’s a 155 in need of work nearby, but Darren’s face really lights up when he talks about his 156 Twin Spark. ‘I’ve had for 12 years and will never sell it. I love it to bits. I drive anything from Pandas to Giulia Quadrifoglios, but nothing puts a smile on my face like that 156 does.’